Archive for the 'Spanish' Category

Romesco is a classic Spanish sauce made with almonds, garlic, peppers, and any number of other ingredients. It is easy to make, stores well, goes with a wide variety of items, and is surprisingly good for you. This weekend I served it with grilled beef tenderloin and scallop skewers, but it would also go well with grilled vegetables, chicken, etc. Continue reading ‘Romesco Sauce’

If you happen to see Jamón Ibérico for sale, buy some and make this dish. It will be expensive but worth it. Serrano ham will also work as will Prosciutto. With so few ingredients and such little preparation, the quality of each component is really important. In addition to the Jamón Ibérico or Serrano ham, be sure to use a high-quality olive oil. Continue reading ‘Pork Loin Baked in Sea Salt with Jamón Ibérico’

A couple of years ago, Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Bittman, and Claudia Bassols taped a 13-episode PBS show called “Spain… on the road again.” The show mostly entailed the four of them driving around Spain in Mercedes convertibles and eating incredible food. Batali and Paltrow published a cookbook based on the show which was the source of this recipe. Continue reading ‘Fideos con Mariscos’

I’ve been on a Thomas Keller kick lately, so I decided to try this recipe from Ad Hoc at Home. It’s very similar to (and, in my opinion, not quite as good as) paella with one notable exception: the result of brining the chicken for 10 hours prior to cooking was the best chicken I’ve ever made. I will be looking for opportunities to use this same chicken brine with other recipes in the very near future.

I’ve been told that the preparation of Paella in Spain shares two characteristics with grilling in the US – first, it’s generally done outside, and second, it’s frequently done by men (including those with no other interest or skill in the kitchen). I’ve made this dish outside over a fire in the past, but I seem to get better results when I cook it on the stove. Because my paella pan is larger than my largest burner, I rotate it throughout cooking so it cooks evenly. One important note on this preparation: once you add the rice, DO NOT STIR. The rice on the bottom will get slightly burnt, forming the socarrat that makes this dish really work.